Facile Synthesis of a Bi2WO6/BiO2-x Heterojunction for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Ciprofloxacin under Visible Light Irradiation

In this work, a Z-scheme Bi2WO6/BiO2-x heterojunction was successfully prepared using a self-assembly strategy. Various characterization techniques demonstrated that the formation of the heterojunction not only accelerated the separation of photoinduced carriers but also weakened the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs-. The Bi2WO6/BiO2-x composites had a wider absorption edge than Bi2WO6 in the range of 200-800 nm, which improved the photocatalytic performance of ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation under xenon lamps. As a result, the Z-scheme heterojunction Bi2WO6/BiO2-x composite exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity. Catalyzed by the optimal 20% Bi2WO6/BiO2-x (0.5 g/L), the removal rate of CIP (10.0 mg/L) was 91.8% within 2 h irradiated by visible light, which was 2.37 times that of the BiO2-x catalyst. This work will provide a fresh perspective on the construction of visible-driven Z-scheme photocatalysts for wastewater treatment.

Automated summary

A Z-scheme Bi2WO6/BiO2-x heterojunction was successfully prepared using a self-assembly strategy in this work. Various characterization techniques demonstrated that the heterojunction promoted the separation of photoinduced carriers and reduced the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs. The Bi2WO6/BiO2-x composite had a wider absorption edge than pure Bi2WO6, leading to enhanced photocatalytic performance for ciprofloxacin degradation under xenon lamps. The study provides a new perspective on the development of visible-driven Z-scheme photocatalysts for wastewater treatment.